Maria Mazo, PPSA
July 2024 - Cleaning My Eyes
Original
About the Image(s)
For this month's image, I chose one that I took in April this year, These little crabs emerge with the low tide, digging burrows in the sand, and some times they adventure out looking for something to eat.
What It captured my attention was their behaviour that I hadn't seen before: the little crabs wiping their eyes clean using their mouth parts, or maxillipeds. I really enjoyed observing them.
I shot it handheld lying in the sand and resting the lens in a bean bag. I edited it in Photoshop, cropping it and enhancing the colour.
Exif data:
Shutter 1/5000
Aperture: f.8
ISO 1000
Shot with a Sony camera and a 200-600 mm lens at 600 mmm
This round’s discussion is now closed!
14 comments posted
Maria, A really neat image of the little crab. I love the depth of field with the low perspective. It is sharp and well exposed. I might suggest a little tighter crop and adding a little contrast to make the crab pop from the background. To my eye the crab gets lost in the large background and similar color. Posted: 07/05/2024 19:31:14
Hi Bruce, thank you for your comment and suggestion. It is true that the crab is somewhat lost in its environment due to its similar colour. I think that's the key of its survival, being camouflaged with the sand.I like how you make it stand out.
Posted: 07/13/2024 12:00:11
Posted: 07/13/2024 12:00:11
Here is a 16x9 aspect ratio as well. Bruce Posted: 07/05/2024 19:32:30
Maria, great vantage point and your settings captured the crab in focus, and everything else, out of focus. It is sharp. Nice colors. I agree with Bruce about cropping, but this is my iteration, giving a little more space to its front. Posted: 07/09/2024 11:32:38
Hi Isaac,
I really enjoyed those photo sessions with them, and I think I provided some entertainment for the people who saw me lying in the sand with such a long lens, and not knowing what I was photographing. I like your cropping.
Posted: 07/13/2024 12:06:32
I really enjoyed those photo sessions with them, and I think I provided some entertainment for the people who saw me lying in the sand with such a long lens, and not knowing what I was photographing. I like your cropping.
Posted: 07/13/2024 12:06:32
Maria, nice job getting down low! The chosen angle highlights the crab's details allowing me to appreciate its unique features. I like the soft, natural hues as they nicely represent the environment. The DOF effectively separates the subject from surroundings however for me, I find the foreground blur competes with the crab. I wonder if the camera angle was elevated slightly to create a more gradual transition between the crab and foreground. Or, for a more elongated view a 16x9 or 18x9 crop brings more attention to the crab as mentioned by Isaac and Bruce. Posted: 07/18/2024 13:41:45
Hi Barbara, Thank you for your nice comment. Since I was using a very long zoom lens, the depth of field was very narrow, causing the area just behind the crab to blur. Posted: 07/22/2024 07:58:35
(Group 79)
Maria, this is a wonderful image, though I like the 19x9 aspect ratio by Issac and Bruce better because the crab as subject is more visually powerful, though I like slightly more contrast of the crab. As Barbara mentioned, wonderful DOF. Posted: 07/20/2024 19:07:42
Hi Heather, thank you for your comment and suggestion about the crop. I agree with everyone that a tighter crop better enhances the subject. Posted: 07/22/2024 08:01:21
Outstanding image. I think the suggestions to increase contrast are great as a way to bring more attention to the eye cleaning, as I didn't notice it until reading your description but this detail really makes the image stand out in it's class. Posted: 07/25/2024 21:10:29
Hi Chris, Thanks for your comment. I also like the suggestions to bring more attention where the story is. I know that it is the problem of this image. It's not easy to grasp what's happening there at the first glance, and the identical tonality between the crab and the sand makes it more difficult.
Posted: 07/29/2024 00:28:39
Posted: 07/29/2024 00:28:39
Maria - well seen! I love crabs as they are so charismatic. My sightings have been more on firm areas rather than sandy at its really interesting seeing this behaviour.
My first thought on seeing your image was that there was too much out of focus sand and if the viewer does not know what is happening (and the title not available which is the case in Exhibitions) then the wiping of eye action won't be seen. So anything that helps direct the viewer is helpful. Posted: 07/26/2024 22:06:54
My first thought on seeing your image was that there was too much out of focus sand and if the viewer does not know what is happening (and the title not available which is the case in Exhibitions) then the wiping of eye action won't be seen. So anything that helps direct the viewer is helpful. Posted: 07/26/2024 22:06:54
Hi Adrian, I agree with you. When the story is not very clear, those details can easily go unnoticed by viewer and could score lower in exhibitions if the judge is not familiar with that type of behaviour. I am fully aware that this is the mayor problem in this image, but I was amazed to observe them doing that, I have never seem it before.
Posted: 07/29/2024 00:36:36
Posted: 07/29/2024 00:36:36
Maria - well seen! I love crabs as they are so charismatic. My sightings have been more on firm areas rather than sandy at its really interesting seeing this behaviour.
My first thought on seeing your image was that there was too much out of focus sand and if the viewer does not know what is happening (and the title not available which is the case in Exhibitions) then the wiping of eye action won't be seen. So anything that helps direct the viewer is helpful. Posted: 07/26/2024 22:42:24
My first thought on seeing your image was that there was too much out of focus sand and if the viewer does not know what is happening (and the title not available which is the case in Exhibitions) then the wiping of eye action won't be seen. So anything that helps direct the viewer is helpful. Posted: 07/26/2024 22:42:24